True Memoirs of an International Assassin

This movie wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be, but it was still really enjoyable. It manages to be a parody of spy movies, while at the same time never being too cheesy or corny. Netflix is known for producing quality content, and this shows why. The story was really clever, (though at times it does feel like it's been done before.), the action sequences are impressive, and there are some funny lines of dialogue. I wouldn't say there are any moments in the movie that are hilarious, but there are definitely some times where I laughed. There are a few twists and moments of misdirection I didn't see coming. The acting isn't too bad. There wasn't really anyone in this movie I hated, and I liked the little bits of satire on spy movies. This isn't one of the best movies of 2016, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Grade: B   8/10  3.5/5 stars

Arrival

This isn't a typical alien movie. The plot is very cerebral. It can be hard to follow at times, because there isn't much segue between scenes. They'll explain something complicated very fast and it doesn't give you much time to process what just happened before they move on to the next thing. It's like that matg teacher who after explaining a complicated concept asks "Does everyone understand?" and moves on even if only 1 kid said "Yes." The plot has a lot of subtle forshadowing, some of which came from supposedly throwaway lines that ended up being important later on. The twist at the end was very well concealed, although I would have liked them to explain the reasons for why this twist can happen. It was brilliant, but came out of nowhere. 

Grade: B.  8/10  4/5 stars

Doctor Strange

This was amazing!!!! I went into this movie knowing nothing about the character. I kept myself completely in the dark. No comics, no animated movies, staying off IMDB Thursday night. Glad I did. There were tons of moments that wowed and surprised me, that I don't think would have had as big of an impact if I had read the source material beforehand. It was like putting Jedi in the movie "The Matrix." The visuals are so mind-bending that this is one of the very few times I would say go see it in 3D. (Unless you get headaches easily or suffer from motion sickness. Then stick with the standard version). The 3D is more than worth the extra price. The opening seen alone already feels like it was worth every penny. The movie is also very deep and thought provoking. "Civil War" was thought-provoking in a political way, and this is thought provoking in a science/psychological way. Benedict Cumberbaych does amazingly as always, but I do feel like he was typecast. He seems to be playing the "I'm smarter than you and I'm going to let you know I'm smarter than you every chance I get" character over and over. I'm worried he'll become like Johnny Depp and end up eventually becoming a parody of himself. I don't want to spoil anything, because like I said before, it's better to go in knowing nothing. I will say that I hope Marvel takes more risks with more obscure characters and that Fox finally stops being selfish and just gives them the rights to "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four" already! I want to see Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Bruce Banner, Hank Pym, and Reed Richards have a science debate. Just make one big banter-fest movie of these characters. Just witty back and forth dialogue between them. That would be awesome! I'm excited to see how this movie ties in to "Infinity War." Definitely looking forward to seeing Doctor Strange appear in future movies. 

Grade: A-   9/10. 4/5 stars